Antennas that are enclosed or embedded within a mobile structure, such as an aircraft, are subject to numerous system requirements including lightning strike mitigation, bandpass filtering and electromagnetic interference shielding. Example solutions to these requirements include the use of frequency selective surfaces and lightning diverter strips that are disposed on an outer surface of the structure, for example, forming a radome or other structural or non-structural component. Typically, the frequency selective surface and the lightning diverter strips are bonded to the outer surface of the enclosing structure as an applique, which is prone to damage or dis-bonding through delamination of the applique from the surface of the enclosing structure or environmental exposure. Further, any electromagnetic interference shielding is limited to the shielding effectiveness of the constituent materials of the frequency selective surface and the lightning diverter strip.
Accordingly, those skilled in the art continue with research and development efforts in the field of enclosed antenna systems and enclosing structures having embedded antenna systems.